Judge Beasley is currently a member of the North Carolina Court of Appeals where she has served since 2009. Previously she was a trial court judge. She began her legal career as a public defender representing indigent defendants.

Governor Perdue said in a statement, “I am thrilled to appoint Cheri to our state’s highest court.” said Gov. Perdue. “She has excelled both as a District Court judge and as a judge on the Court of Appeals. She will make a superb justice on the Supreme Court.”

With her 2008 election to the state Court of Appeals in which she defeated an incumbent judge, Beasley became the first black woman to win a statewide election without having been previously appointed by a governor.

“I am honored that Governor Perdue has appointed me to serve as an associate justice on the Supreme Court of North Carolina. I am grateful for her confidence in my ability to render fair and impartial decisions while serving on our state’s highest Court. Throughout my years of service on the judiciary, I have always considered it a privilege to serve the people of our state,” Beasley said.